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Merissa (11731 KP) rated Mack (Angelbound Offspring #6) in Books
Dec 18, 2020 (Updated Aug 8, 2023)
MACK is the sixth book in the Angelbound Offspring series and I would absolutely recommend you read it as part of a series. If you can't do that, then you NEED to read Kaps as this book is a continuation of hers.
The points of view change from Mack to Kaps and back again so you get a fully rounded story from both perspectives. They both want to be together but go full-on martyr when they both decide it's better for the other one if they're not. Gah! I wanted to bang their heads together!!
There are some interesting developments in this story, not the least being how Mack changes (I won't say more). There are cameos from others in the series, with Huntress and Gage playing a bigger role in helping Mack and Kaps see each other. I honestly can't wait for Huntress' book!
This was a great addition to the series and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 18, 2020
The points of view change from Mack to Kaps and back again so you get a fully rounded story from both perspectives. They both want to be together but go full-on martyr when they both decide it's better for the other one if they're not. Gah! I wanted to bang their heads together!!
There are some interesting developments in this story, not the least being how Mack changes (I won't say more). There are cameos from others in the series, with Huntress and Gage playing a bigger role in helping Mack and Kaps see each other. I honestly can't wait for Huntress' book!
This was a great addition to the series and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 18, 2020
Brumpolarbears (22 KP) rated The Old Hellfire Club in Tabletop Games
Jun 18, 2019
UK Games Expo 2018 was every boardgame fan’s dream. From party games and family favourites to elaborate miniatures and fantasy RPGs. The credit card certainly took a bashing that weekend, but there was one game which we weren’t able to purchase (due to it not actually being out), yet it left a rather lasting impression.
In The Old Hellfire Club two to six players take on the roles of the destitute final members of an ancient aristocratic secret society as they recount the tales of their greatest adventures to the patrons of the shadiest public houses of Old London Town. Drawing on the cards in their hands for inspiration, players weave an ever more elaborate (although far from honest) tale of daring and adventure in the hope that the drinking den’s patrons will offer them a penny for their woes. As competition for the pennies on offer increases, so too do the exaggerations and outright lies players tell about their role in the story in the hope of making themselves seem more deserving. At any time, a player can challenge anothers versions of the story by playing a less impressive card from their own hand, thereby revealing the exaggeration and taking the rewards for the story. When the tale reaches its climax, whoever has been given the most pennies wins the game.
You can win pennies by getting away with telling extravagant lies about the adventures you had (by playing
high value Boast Cards without being successfully challenged by other players), through the charity of
strangers (by meeting the conditions set out on certain Patron Cards), and by satisfying the predilections of
the mysterious benefactors lurking in the audience (by successfully playing the most cards from a particular
suit over the course of the game).
While there’s still some time until you can physically purchase The Old Hellfire Club, which launches on Kickstarter on 9 April 2019, the developers have launched a free….yes free….print and play version of the game, meaning you can print your own copies of the cards and play with friends.
You can download a copy of the file by visiting The Old Hellfire Club’s profile on Boardgame Geek. I cannot rate this game highly enough. While I was sceptical at first because, in all honesty, I’m not that great at creating stories on the spot, especially those set in Victorian England, The Old Hellfire Club was incredibly quick to pick up. During the preview at UK Games Expo there were quite a few laughs, particularly when I joined Karl Marx for a gin or two. Who knows where future tales may lead.
In The Old Hellfire Club two to six players take on the roles of the destitute final members of an ancient aristocratic secret society as they recount the tales of their greatest adventures to the patrons of the shadiest public houses of Old London Town. Drawing on the cards in their hands for inspiration, players weave an ever more elaborate (although far from honest) tale of daring and adventure in the hope that the drinking den’s patrons will offer them a penny for their woes. As competition for the pennies on offer increases, so too do the exaggerations and outright lies players tell about their role in the story in the hope of making themselves seem more deserving. At any time, a player can challenge anothers versions of the story by playing a less impressive card from their own hand, thereby revealing the exaggeration and taking the rewards for the story. When the tale reaches its climax, whoever has been given the most pennies wins the game.
You can win pennies by getting away with telling extravagant lies about the adventures you had (by playing
high value Boast Cards without being successfully challenged by other players), through the charity of
strangers (by meeting the conditions set out on certain Patron Cards), and by satisfying the predilections of
the mysterious benefactors lurking in the audience (by successfully playing the most cards from a particular
suit over the course of the game).
While there’s still some time until you can physically purchase The Old Hellfire Club, which launches on Kickstarter on 9 April 2019, the developers have launched a free….yes free….print and play version of the game, meaning you can print your own copies of the cards and play with friends.
You can download a copy of the file by visiting The Old Hellfire Club’s profile on Boardgame Geek. I cannot rate this game highly enough. While I was sceptical at first because, in all honesty, I’m not that great at creating stories on the spot, especially those set in Victorian England, The Old Hellfire Club was incredibly quick to pick up. During the preview at UK Games Expo there were quite a few laughs, particularly when I joined Karl Marx for a gin or two. Who knows where future tales may lead.
Darren (1599 KP) rated The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Characters – Lisbeth Salander is the famous hacker that will stand up against any man that is causing a woman abuse, she will leave her brand on them. She is called for difficult hacking jobs, which sees her take something from the Americans, this makes her a wanted suspect in Sweden and her on the run looking for answers to clear her name. Mikael Blomkvist is still the only person that Lisbeth will trust, he tries to operate from a distant and investigates the trust behind what is happening. Ed Needham is the American that has his system hacked, a government man, he heads to Sweden to get it back and finds nothing but barriers from the Swedish government. Camilla Salander is the long lost sister of Lisbeth, she thought to be dead, but now she is involved in a criminal gang known as The Spiders, targeting Lisbeth for what she wants.
Performances – Claire Foy does feel mis-cast in this role, she doesn’t seem to have a tough enough look to make this character effect as the two previous stars. Sverrir Gudnason had large shoes to fill and he doesn’t do a strong enough job in the Mikael role, while Sylvia Hoeks does what she can with her role without being anything overly special, while LaKeith Stanfield doesn’t seem to feel like the character he is meant to be playing.
Story – The story here is the fourth story in the Dragon Tattoo world, the second in English and is the first not written by the original author. We follow Lisbeth who once again finds herself needing to take on secret organisation that what something that could put the world in danger and this time it becomes more personal, with her sister being the enemy. This story does feel like it has borrowed from many other films and while it still puts Lisbeth is an anti-hero role, we only seem to find ourselves in one direction where Lisbeth is always one step ahead of everything happening, despite the fact we get to see just how twisted the Spiders are, it paints one image of them only to leave us facing a different softer enemy.
Action/Crime – The action was pretty much all given away in the trailer, we have the motorbike chase across the ice, the car chases and shoot outs, each feels very similar and doesn’t have the suspense required in a thriller.
Settings – The film does try to bring everything back to Lisbeth’s backstory with the settings showing the off the grid life she current lives compared to the one she could have lived, the snowy roads add a little to the chases, but not that much overall.
Scene of the Movie – Ice lake escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Spider’s not hinting at wanting to do to what they did to the guy without a nose, to the new Lisbeth group.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a cash grab on a franchise that has never taken off on the American side of things, we get everything scaled back leaving us feeling disappointed by the end of the film.
Overall: No thrills to be seen here.
Performances – Claire Foy does feel mis-cast in this role, she doesn’t seem to have a tough enough look to make this character effect as the two previous stars. Sverrir Gudnason had large shoes to fill and he doesn’t do a strong enough job in the Mikael role, while Sylvia Hoeks does what she can with her role without being anything overly special, while LaKeith Stanfield doesn’t seem to feel like the character he is meant to be playing.
Story – The story here is the fourth story in the Dragon Tattoo world, the second in English and is the first not written by the original author. We follow Lisbeth who once again finds herself needing to take on secret organisation that what something that could put the world in danger and this time it becomes more personal, with her sister being the enemy. This story does feel like it has borrowed from many other films and while it still puts Lisbeth is an anti-hero role, we only seem to find ourselves in one direction where Lisbeth is always one step ahead of everything happening, despite the fact we get to see just how twisted the Spiders are, it paints one image of them only to leave us facing a different softer enemy.
Action/Crime – The action was pretty much all given away in the trailer, we have the motorbike chase across the ice, the car chases and shoot outs, each feels very similar and doesn’t have the suspense required in a thriller.
Settings – The film does try to bring everything back to Lisbeth’s backstory with the settings showing the off the grid life she current lives compared to the one she could have lived, the snowy roads add a little to the chases, but not that much overall.
Scene of the Movie – Ice lake escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The Spider’s not hinting at wanting to do to what they did to the guy without a nose, to the new Lisbeth group.
Final Thoughts – This does feel like a cash grab on a franchise that has never taken off on the American side of things, we get everything scaled back leaving us feeling disappointed by the end of the film.
Overall: No thrills to be seen here.
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Walk to Remember (2002) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Whenever you get opposites collide you will see sparks fly in a love story. This has a good message for the teenage audience who believe being popular can make you different when it is the people around you that you ignore that make the difference in people’s lives. The story shows how powerful love is and once you first feel it, it can be so hard to stop the feeling. (8/10)
Actor Review: Shane West – Landon the bad boy of the school who falls for the outsider. Shane is a good in the lead role showing how letting someone you’re your life can change you forever. (8/10)
landon
Actor Review: Mandy Moore – Jamie the outsider who goes to church and everything Landon dislikes. Good performance playing the role trying to avoid a romance but in the end it becomes the best thing to ever happen to her. (8/10)
moore
Director Review: Adam Shankman – Good direction showing all the emotional levels very well. (8/10)
Drama: Very good drama showed how people will deal with such a head part of life. (8/10)
Romance: Great romances showing how when you find that one person you will do everything to make sure they are you’re everything. (9/10)
Chemistry: Great chemistry between Landon and Jamie. (9/10)
Believability: This sort of heart breaking situation does happen. (8/10)
Chances of Tears: Pretty high chance. (7/10)
Suggestion: This is something I would suggest to someone lost for ideas for date night, it is full of heart break but they story is so very touching. (Date Night)
Best Part: Landon and Jamie’s first date.
Favourite Quote: Landon ‘Our love is like the wind, I can’t see it but I sure can feel it.’
Trivia: Shane West bought the car he uses in the film.
Oscar Chances: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Overall: A tragic love story that will pull some heart strings, bring the tissues.
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/02/16/a-walk-to-remember-2002/
Actor Review: Shane West – Landon the bad boy of the school who falls for the outsider. Shane is a good in the lead role showing how letting someone you’re your life can change you forever. (8/10)
landon
Actor Review: Mandy Moore – Jamie the outsider who goes to church and everything Landon dislikes. Good performance playing the role trying to avoid a romance but in the end it becomes the best thing to ever happen to her. (8/10)
moore
Director Review: Adam Shankman – Good direction showing all the emotional levels very well. (8/10)
Drama: Very good drama showed how people will deal with such a head part of life. (8/10)
Romance: Great romances showing how when you find that one person you will do everything to make sure they are you’re everything. (9/10)
Chemistry: Great chemistry between Landon and Jamie. (9/10)
Believability: This sort of heart breaking situation does happen. (8/10)
Chances of Tears: Pretty high chance. (7/10)
Suggestion: This is something I would suggest to someone lost for ideas for date night, it is full of heart break but they story is so very touching. (Date Night)
Best Part: Landon and Jamie’s first date.
Favourite Quote: Landon ‘Our love is like the wind, I can’t see it but I sure can feel it.’
Trivia: Shane West bought the car he uses in the film.
Oscar Chances: No
Chances of Sequel: No
Overall: A tragic love story that will pull some heart strings, bring the tissues.
https://moviesreview101.com/2014/02/16/a-walk-to-remember-2002/
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Get Him to the Greek (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Russell Brand created one of the more memorable characters of 2008 in Forgetting Sarah Marshall with his role as Aldous Snow. Get Him to the Greek is by and large an extension of his role in that movie, but ramped up in the “crazy rock star” department. Jonah Hill, playing the ambitious record company intern Aaron Green tries to bring Aldous Snow from London to Los Angeles to play a show at the Greek Theater. The problem with this simplistic plot is that it doesn’t lead to any character development, and only leads to more jokes. While surprisingly funny in some parts, the characters don’t really make a splash unless they’re doing something ridiculous, which happens quite often.
The main characters, drunk on absinthe in one scene, deliver truly cringe-worthy performances, and I’m not talking about funny cringes. Later on in the film, another scene with another drug is sure to be remembered as one of the funniest bits in the entire film. Unfortunately, this is representative of the entire film. There are hits and misses on nearly every metric you can think of. Rose Byrne and Sean Combs are fantastic in their respective supporting roles, Russell Brand is charmingly hilarious with his rock star attitude, and while Jonah Hill does a good job of showing the anxiety of a responsible guy just trying to handle an irresponsible rock star, he’s still miles away from his scene-stealing performance in Superbad.
In the end, however, Get Him to the Greek just had no closure. The ending was forced, like the director ran out of time, and the lack of character growth really forced the film to rely on a “moral of the story” type of ending, which ended up muddling the film’s ending further. Still, the ending doesn’t detract wholly from the movie. Much like watching a lesser version of Spinal Tap, this movie is still amusing to watch.
The main characters, drunk on absinthe in one scene, deliver truly cringe-worthy performances, and I’m not talking about funny cringes. Later on in the film, another scene with another drug is sure to be remembered as one of the funniest bits in the entire film. Unfortunately, this is representative of the entire film. There are hits and misses on nearly every metric you can think of. Rose Byrne and Sean Combs are fantastic in their respective supporting roles, Russell Brand is charmingly hilarious with his rock star attitude, and while Jonah Hill does a good job of showing the anxiety of a responsible guy just trying to handle an irresponsible rock star, he’s still miles away from his scene-stealing performance in Superbad.
In the end, however, Get Him to the Greek just had no closure. The ending was forced, like the director ran out of time, and the lack of character growth really forced the film to rely on a “moral of the story” type of ending, which ended up muddling the film’s ending further. Still, the ending doesn’t detract wholly from the movie. Much like watching a lesser version of Spinal Tap, this movie is still amusing to watch.
JT (287 KP) rated Fright Night (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
Colin Farrell as a vampire? He would hardly be my choice as the leading man in this one, yet beneath it all you get the impression that he loved every minute.
As Jerry, the new neighbour who has moved into a quiet suburb deep in the Las Vegas desert, he has all the charm and likeability of any new dweller. That is until his true identity and ambitions are revealed.
Opposite Farrell is Charley (Yelchin), a nerd who has suddenly burst out of his shell and blended in with the upper echelons of high school society. Enough that he has bagged Imogen Poots as his girlfriend.
It’s very much a no brainer when it comes to the plot, but Yelchin does enough in the early parts to keep you hooked in. Battling with his former best friend played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who yet again does the role so well, he suddenly realises that there is more truth to the rumour that Jerry is devouring the locals.
The humour keeps the film ticking along and the introduction of David Tennant as Peter Vincent, a Vegas showman who as luck would have it, has the largest amount of vampire collectables going.
The special effects and gore elements are exciting, but its hardly frightening anyone to the core, which is a shame. If you’re going to do a remake then make sure its executed as well as it can be.
For me though the film is about Farrell, contented with playing the nice guy for the most part of his career its great to see him opening up to a new role. Even his Horrible Bosses turn showed that he had the potential for a badass, and long may it continue.
It’s not a patch on the original, and let’s be fair not a lot of remakes ever are, but its a credible effort from Gillespie. Farrell here sticks two fingers up to Twilight, and I bloody loved that!
As Jerry, the new neighbour who has moved into a quiet suburb deep in the Las Vegas desert, he has all the charm and likeability of any new dweller. That is until his true identity and ambitions are revealed.
Opposite Farrell is Charley (Yelchin), a nerd who has suddenly burst out of his shell and blended in with the upper echelons of high school society. Enough that he has bagged Imogen Poots as his girlfriend.
It’s very much a no brainer when it comes to the plot, but Yelchin does enough in the early parts to keep you hooked in. Battling with his former best friend played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who yet again does the role so well, he suddenly realises that there is more truth to the rumour that Jerry is devouring the locals.
The humour keeps the film ticking along and the introduction of David Tennant as Peter Vincent, a Vegas showman who as luck would have it, has the largest amount of vampire collectables going.
The special effects and gore elements are exciting, but its hardly frightening anyone to the core, which is a shame. If you’re going to do a remake then make sure its executed as well as it can be.
For me though the film is about Farrell, contented with playing the nice guy for the most part of his career its great to see him opening up to a new role. Even his Horrible Bosses turn showed that he had the potential for a badass, and long may it continue.
It’s not a patch on the original, and let’s be fair not a lot of remakes ever are, but its a credible effort from Gillespie. Farrell here sticks two fingers up to Twilight, and I bloody loved that!
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Knight and Day (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Knight and Day, directed by James Mangold (previous director of 3:10 to Yuma and Walk the Line), is an uninspiring, uninteresting action movie. Getting both of those words to work with the phrase “action movie” is quite a challenge, but somehow, through a group effort, it was pulled off. The movie itself gets boring primarily because the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have little to no chemistry between them both. Useless action sequences merely add to the feeling that all those involved were ruining a great premise for an action/date movie.
The plot of the movie started out fun and original, but again, the lack of a spark between the two leads just led to disinterest. The director made ample use of what I’ll call the “invisible montage,” wherein one of the main characters is semi-conscious, and what happens to them is revealed in a series of blurred, but outlandishly crazy situations only a few seconds in length and increasing in surrealism. This was a clever, if overused technique, but oftentimes the entire movie felt like longer episodes of these montages, with little reason for each to be happening other than to fill the quota for requisite action sequences. Because of some poor foreshadowing in the beginning of the film, even the finale became extremely predictable and had no weight.
Tom Cruise, playing the bizarrely comic spy Roy Miller, manages to pull his weight in his role. Cruise’s special kind of natural crazy is actually an advantage to the character he is playing. His unpredictability and his utter charm kept me, at the very least, entertained throughout the film.
Cameron Diaz, playing clueless midwesterner June Havens is obviously the weak link here. She can’t seem to keep up with Cruise’s character on screen, and aside from a few cutesy moments in the film, is outclassed by her co-star, and often by members of the supporting cast as well. Diaz doesn’t have a reputation for doing in-depth character studies of her portrayals, but the very least she could do is drop the same confused face she uses for most of the movie.
Together, Cruise and Diaz lack the chemistry that would have made this a decent movie without forcing the audience to shut off the emotional parts of their brains. In fact, the key make-out scene between the two of them was so clichéd as to be boring. Looking back at the entire movie, I believe that after their first few minutes together, the rest of their interactions just felt forced.
As for the rest of the cast, I have no special complaints or accolades, but I would like to single out one individual, and say that I would have loved to see more of Peter Sarsgaard. It’s immediately obvious that knows what he is doing on screen, and he deserved a much larger role than the one given to him.
In summary, Knight and Day is definitely worth skipping out on. Wait a week and soon enough some real 4th of July action blockbusters will be coming out. We’ll be sure to let you know which ones are the real deal and which ones are the duds. It’s just too bad this one was a dud, because it definitely had a lot of potential.
The plot of the movie started out fun and original, but again, the lack of a spark between the two leads just led to disinterest. The director made ample use of what I’ll call the “invisible montage,” wherein one of the main characters is semi-conscious, and what happens to them is revealed in a series of blurred, but outlandishly crazy situations only a few seconds in length and increasing in surrealism. This was a clever, if overused technique, but oftentimes the entire movie felt like longer episodes of these montages, with little reason for each to be happening other than to fill the quota for requisite action sequences. Because of some poor foreshadowing in the beginning of the film, even the finale became extremely predictable and had no weight.
Tom Cruise, playing the bizarrely comic spy Roy Miller, manages to pull his weight in his role. Cruise’s special kind of natural crazy is actually an advantage to the character he is playing. His unpredictability and his utter charm kept me, at the very least, entertained throughout the film.
Cameron Diaz, playing clueless midwesterner June Havens is obviously the weak link here. She can’t seem to keep up with Cruise’s character on screen, and aside from a few cutesy moments in the film, is outclassed by her co-star, and often by members of the supporting cast as well. Diaz doesn’t have a reputation for doing in-depth character studies of her portrayals, but the very least she could do is drop the same confused face she uses for most of the movie.
Together, Cruise and Diaz lack the chemistry that would have made this a decent movie without forcing the audience to shut off the emotional parts of their brains. In fact, the key make-out scene between the two of them was so clichéd as to be boring. Looking back at the entire movie, I believe that after their first few minutes together, the rest of their interactions just felt forced.
As for the rest of the cast, I have no special complaints or accolades, but I would like to single out one individual, and say that I would have loved to see more of Peter Sarsgaard. It’s immediately obvious that knows what he is doing on screen, and he deserved a much larger role than the one given to him.
In summary, Knight and Day is definitely worth skipping out on. Wait a week and soon enough some real 4th of July action blockbusters will be coming out. We’ll be sure to let you know which ones are the real deal and which ones are the duds. It’s just too bad this one was a dud, because it definitely had a lot of potential.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Hannie Caulder (1971) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
You'll Have a Blast Watching This
Set in the western frontier days, a woman seeks revenge after a gang of bandits abuse her and kill her husband.
Acting: 8
No one is winning any awards, but they get the job done. Raquel Welch holds her own in her primary role as Hannie Caulder. She’s tough as nails and I love the perfect timing with which she delivers her quips. It’s fun watching her kick all the ass. Shout-out to Robert Culp as well playing the role of gunslinger Thomas Luther Price. He approaches his role with the calm demeanor of one that only kills when he has to. Both actors killed it.
The ones playing the bandits, however, did not. it was like watching the Three Stooges try and be bad guys. Fortunately they didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the movie as it made me want them to get theirs even more.
Beginning: 10
First ten minutes does the job of a true beginning: Sets up the plot while getting you excited to watch the rest of the movie. By the end of it, you know who’s bad, who’s good, and who needs to be avenged. Let the rest of the movie commence!
Characters: 8
Loved the protagonists as characters, not so much the bad guys as mentioned above. The villains were bumbling idiots who seemed to do bad things off sheer luck. Fortunately Hannie and her motivation for revenge was enough to carry the story. While I thought they could’ve put more clothes on the poor girl (she spends most of the movie in a poncho with nothing underneath), her rise to becoming a gunslinger was fun to watch.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are some really beautiful shots I adored in the movie. At the very beginning, we see Hannie standing over her dead husband against the backdrop of her burning home. It feels almost poetic. Beautiful shots of the landscape are captured so perfectly. The gun battles were also shot in such a way that the deaths felt more realistic which was a nice touch.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
You want fun? Check! Cool gun fights? Check! A quest for revenge that you can get behind? Done and done. I would be surprised if you didn’t have a blast during the film’s 85-minute runtime.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 10
Plot: 8
Much like Wonder Woman, the only thing this movie really suffers from is an unnecessary romance. it felt forced and happened way too quick. Hannie, like Diana, doesn’t need a man, not even in the slightest. Even if Thomas hadn’t trained her, I feel like she would have learned her way around a gun as her desire for revenge was so strong. You don’t need to fall in love to have a desire to kick ass. If anything, throwing love into the mix should have made Hannie question her motives. The rest of the story, though linear, was solid.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 87
I don’t say this lightly: I really enjoyed this movie. As campy as it can feel at times, a strong female lead makes it unique and memorable. If you like westerns, or even if you just like good movies, check this one out now for free on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Acting: 8
No one is winning any awards, but they get the job done. Raquel Welch holds her own in her primary role as Hannie Caulder. She’s tough as nails and I love the perfect timing with which she delivers her quips. It’s fun watching her kick all the ass. Shout-out to Robert Culp as well playing the role of gunslinger Thomas Luther Price. He approaches his role with the calm demeanor of one that only kills when he has to. Both actors killed it.
The ones playing the bandits, however, did not. it was like watching the Three Stooges try and be bad guys. Fortunately they didn’t ruin the enjoyment of the movie as it made me want them to get theirs even more.
Beginning: 10
First ten minutes does the job of a true beginning: Sets up the plot while getting you excited to watch the rest of the movie. By the end of it, you know who’s bad, who’s good, and who needs to be avenged. Let the rest of the movie commence!
Characters: 8
Loved the protagonists as characters, not so much the bad guys as mentioned above. The villains were bumbling idiots who seemed to do bad things off sheer luck. Fortunately Hannie and her motivation for revenge was enough to carry the story. While I thought they could’ve put more clothes on the poor girl (she spends most of the movie in a poncho with nothing underneath), her rise to becoming a gunslinger was fun to watch.
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
There are some really beautiful shots I adored in the movie. At the very beginning, we see Hannie standing over her dead husband against the backdrop of her burning home. It feels almost poetic. Beautiful shots of the landscape are captured so perfectly. The gun battles were also shot in such a way that the deaths felt more realistic which was a nice touch.
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
You want fun? Check! Cool gun fights? Check! A quest for revenge that you can get behind? Done and done. I would be surprised if you didn’t have a blast during the film’s 85-minute runtime.
Memorability: 6
Pace: 10
Plot: 8
Much like Wonder Woman, the only thing this movie really suffers from is an unnecessary romance. it felt forced and happened way too quick. Hannie, like Diana, doesn’t need a man, not even in the slightest. Even if Thomas hadn’t trained her, I feel like she would have learned her way around a gun as her desire for revenge was so strong. You don’t need to fall in love to have a desire to kick ass. If anything, throwing love into the mix should have made Hannie question her motives. The rest of the story, though linear, was solid.
Resolution: 10
Overall: 87
I don’t say this lightly: I really enjoyed this movie. As campy as it can feel at times, a strong female lead makes it unique and memorable. If you like westerns, or even if you just like good movies, check this one out now for free on Amazon Prime Video or Hulu.
Peter Shephard (2821 KP) rated Call to Adventure in Tabletop Games
Jun 4, 2019
Different, in a very good way
This is unlike any game I have played before. It is totally possible to create a whole life story in one game, and with a little leap of imagination, the created character could be the Big Bad (or Main Support) for just about any fantasy role playing game.
The game uses a standard format for abilities (strength etc) but "casting runes" instead of rolling dice is quick to work out and able to be done quickly.
Having set "story points" which you need to advance your story, but being able to decide whether you take the positive/noble, or negative/shady path gradually builds to give a really developed character.
From one of the games I played, I was an acolyte; I went to war, but was greatly disillusioned by what I saw, so ended up leaving the faith and joining with the thieves. I encountered a childhood sweetheart, and we stayed together for ages. Finally, during my battle with a demon, to complete my return to favour with the diety I had abandoned, my sweetheart was murdered by the demons followers. Although I succeeded, it was at a huge cost....
This was all determined from the cards played; it's very varied and really well thought out.
Highly, highly recommended
The game uses a standard format for abilities (strength etc) but "casting runes" instead of rolling dice is quick to work out and able to be done quickly.
Having set "story points" which you need to advance your story, but being able to decide whether you take the positive/noble, or negative/shady path gradually builds to give a really developed character.
From one of the games I played, I was an acolyte; I went to war, but was greatly disillusioned by what I saw, so ended up leaving the faith and joining with the thieves. I encountered a childhood sweetheart, and we stayed together for ages. Finally, during my battle with a demon, to complete my return to favour with the diety I had abandoned, my sweetheart was murdered by the demons followers. Although I succeeded, it was at a huge cost....
This was all determined from the cards played; it's very varied and really well thought out.
Highly, highly recommended
David McK (3219 KP) rated Knights of the Hawk (The Bloody Aftermath of 1066, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I remember a few years back I read a book, before I read the first in this 'Conquest' series [b:Sworn Sword|20684800|Sworn Sword A Novel|James Aitcheson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|39982373], which told of (some of) the events of 1066 from the English rather than Norman perspective.
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!
Why do I bring that up? Because the main character of that book - Hereward, known today with the sobriquet 'The Wake' - also appears in this, and is indeed a central character in roughly the first half or so.
That part of the book deals with King Guillaime (William, aka (today) 'The Conqueror') campaign to crush the last(?) of the English resistance to his conquest in the fen country, with Tancred (as always) playing a central role in doing so. Following their eventual success, however, and for plot reasons I am not going to go into here, Tancred finds himself on the run from his former Lord, traveling to Dyfflin (Dublin) in pursuit of his lost love, leading to him allying himself with the most unlikely of allies and launching an assault upon a Dane who has holed up in the Northern Isles.
This, I felt, is another great read in the series: I will be picking up the next when it comes out!